Blogislature Update: Movement on the Bills We're Tracking

HB 2337: Frank Antenori has sponsored legislation which would allow companies to set up shop in Arizona to manufacture traditional incandescent light bulbs after 2012, when federal regulations will ban incandescent bulbs that range from 40 to 100 watts.

Antenori's real goal is to set up a showdown with the federal government over the limits of its powers under the U.S. Constitution's commerce clause. He says the feds have no business telling Arizona residents what kind of light bulbs to use.

"That's a bill gift-wrapped for someone like the Goldwater Institute to challenge the commerce clause," Antenori says. "It's just to say, 'Hey, the federal government needs to stick to the basics of what it was chartered to do in the Constitution, and not regulate light bulbs and flush toilets and health care and all that stuff.'"

HB 2337 passed the House of Representatives on March 3.

HB 2338: Rep. Frank Antenori says cities should provide motorists with a one-second grace period when they get nabbed running a red light by

an enforcement camera. The bill has passed the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on Jan. 28 and passed the full House of Representatives on March. 3.

SB 1262: Sen. Jack Harper has sponsored the Retired Lawmaker Relief Act, which repeals the existing restriction that lawmakers wait at least one year before lobbying former colleagues. Harper says the law restricts the “equality and economic liberty” of lawmakers. The bill passed the Senate Committee on Government Institutions on Feb. 4, but was shot down by the full Senate on March 3.

SB 1266: In an effort to find a way to charge juveniles with a crime other than child pornography when they send dirty pics of themselves to their friends, Sen. Jonathan Paton has sponsored SB 1266. The bill would allow prosecutors to charge sexting teens with a misdemeanor that could include up to four months, although teens could also e sent to a diversion program or put on probation. The bill passed the Senate Public Safety and Human Services Committee on Feb. 3 and passed the full Senate on March 3. It is now under consideration in the House of Representatives.

SB 1334: Sen. Al Melvin and Rep. Steve Farley of Southern Arizona have teamed up to offer SB 1334, which would ban texting while driving. Violators would face a $50 fine unless they were involved in an accident, in which case the fine would climb to $200. SB 1334 passed out of the Natural Resources, Infrastructure and Public Debt Committee on Monday, Feb. 15, failed in an initial vote by the full Senate on March 2 and then, miraculously, came back to life.

SCR 1007: Part of an overall government reform package backed by former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, SCR 1007 would ask voters to scrap term limits for state lawmakers. It passed the Senate Judiciary Committee on Jan. 19 and passed the full Senate on March 1. It is now under consideration by the House.

SCR 1009: Sen. Jonathan Paton is taking another shot at crippling Clean Elections, the voter-approved program that provides public funds to candidates for state office. SCR 1009 would ask voters to amend the state constitution to prohibit the use of any public funds for political campaigns. The bill passed the Senate on March 1 and is now under consideration in the House of Representatives.